Reliability is key to sustainable revenue for ExCeL London

Energy Partner:

ExCeL London

Location:

London

Asset Type:

Standby diesel generators

Participation:

STOR

Revenue:

Over £250,000 per annum

Capacity:

6MW

ExCeL London, the international exhibition and convention centre, is the host venue for major events including award-winning exhibitions and conferences, international sporting events, award ceremonies, banquets and product launches.

Situated in a stunning waterfront location, ExCeL London is located within a 100-acre campus in the heart of London's Royal Docks.

ExCeL London's energy supply

A major energy user, ExCeL London’s investment in energy efficiency has given it class-leading environmental performance. ExCeL’s power supply is controlled by the site’s own dedicated energy centre, and is supported by two large standby generators and a combined heat and power (CHP) generator.

New revenues from existing assets

ExCeL London’s two on-site standby diesel generators, which are capable of up to 6MW of electrical output, can power the entire site in a power cut. They are also used occasionally to reduce peak demand during major events. Bringing these generators into STOR provides ExCeL London with over £250,000 annually, entirely from assets which the company already owns.

Secure power

A power failure during a major event would not be acceptable to ExCeL London’s customers. Standby generators are complex assets, and their reliability is vital to ExCeL London’s operations.

Flexitricity and ExCeL London worked together to overcome limitations on the site's connection to the local distribution network, allowing the generation plant to run at full output in parallel with the grid. This provides an ideal on-load test and exercise regime, and gives the site's operators early warning of any faults which would affect supply security.

Reducing CO2 emissions

Every megawatt of capacity connected to Flexitricity is a megawatt that does not have to be held in reserve elsewhere. This reduces the need to keep coal and gas stations on hot standby or running inefficiently at part load – reducing carbon emissions by between 300 to 750 tonnes of CO2 per megawatt per annum.

Getting on with core business

ExCeL London provides reserve electricity to National Grid only within the constraints of normal business operations.

Flexitricity understands that core business processes must always be protected, so the system operates only within pre-agreed limits, which are measured and checked in real time.

“When we first started with Flexitricity, we used to watch the generators running every time. Now we just let the generators run, because Flexitricity manages the whole process for us while we get on with our regular duties,” comments ExCeL London Building Services Manager Chris Barnes.

“We obviously need to generate our own power. However, our arrangement with Flexitricity means we are also deriving revenue from the plant, which helps towards our costs.”

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